Best Maui Luaus

Old Lāhainā Lūʻau

The classic version, and the one to book first from a West Maui base.

The show is the part people book for; the dinner and the setting are what separate one lūʻau from another. Photo: Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)

• Runs nightly, with performances roughly three hours long and varying by season.
• Check-in is 5:15 p.m. October through February, 5:45 p.m. March through May and in September, and 6:15 p.m. June through August.
• Parking is free on-site and limited, with overflow across the street at Lahaina Cannery Mall — arrive 15 to 30 minutes early for a space by the entrance.
• Cancellation is 24 hours, by phone, for parties of 14 or fewer. Inside 24 hours, and no-shows, are non-refundable. Groups of 15 and up have separate terms.
• There is a waitlist for sold-out dates, which is worth using rather than writing the evening off.
• Kamaʻāina rates are not bookable online. Residents have to phone for them.

What you are paying for is a long-established cultural programme, private party tables and table service rather than a buffet queue. It is at 1251 Front Street in Lāhainā, and for West Maui guests the short drive matters more at the end of a three-hour evening than it does when you are booking.

Feast at Mōkapu

The intimate, upscale choice, for couples who want a polished evening rather than a big production.

• Classic seating — $283 adult, $140 child aged 3 to 12. Communal tables in the rows behind Premium.
• Premium seating — $363 adult, $200 child. A private table for your party in the front viewing section.
• Advance reservations recommended.

It is at the Andaz in Wailea. The upgrade here buys a private table and a closer section — that is the actual difference between the two tiers, and for a couple it is usually the one worth paying. For a family of four the same upgrade is $320, which is a different conversation.

The Lūʻau at Grand Wailea

The easiest answer in Wailea, and the only one of the three with a published toddler policy.

• Select dates, with summer hours of 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Check-in from 5:30 p.m., seating around 5:45, show around 6:15.
• Standard seating — $300 adult 13 and over, $150 child 3 to 12.
• Aliʻi Premium seating — $360 adult, $180 child.
• Toddlers 2 and under are free.
• Reservations are required, and parties larger than eight have to arrange it with the resort directly.

Hours and pricing move seasonally here more than at the other two, so treat the summer times as indicative and check the date you actually want.

What the Money Actually Buys

Every figure on this page was checked on 13 September 2026, and every one of them will move.

Some lūʻau include the pre-show activities — lei making, crafts, demonstrations — in the ticket. Photo: Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)

• The cheapest published adult seat is Classic at Feast at Mōkapu, at $283.
• The dearest is Premium at the same venue, at $363 — so the whole published range sits inside one operator.
• Upgrading buys position — a private table and a closer section at Mōkapu, the Aliʻi section at Grand Wailea. It is a seating decision, not a food one.
• Children are priced 3 to 12 at both Wailea luaus. Only Grand Wailea publishes a free-toddler policy.
• Old Lāhainā does not publish its pricing on its own site, so take a seat price from the booking page on the date you want rather than from a comparison article.

Confirm the seat price on the booking page for your own date before you commit. A stale figure on a page like this is worse than no figure, which is why the check date is printed above rather than implied.

Which One, By Who You Are Travelling With

Your hotel and your children's bedtime decide this more often than the show does.

• First-timers who want the classic — Old Lāhainā Lūʻau.
• Couples — Feast at Mōkapu, Premium if the private table matters to you.
• Families with young children — the Lūʻau at Grand Wailea, for the toddler policy and the early check-in.
• Anyone staying in West Maui — Old Lāhainā, on the drive alone.

Old Lāhainā is in Lāhainā; the other two are both in Wailea. Which side of the island you have booked settles this more often than any comparison of the shows does, and our Where to Stay guide covers that choice.

Families: The Logistics Decide the Evening

These are early-evening events that run late for small children, and bedtime is the real constraint.

Sunset, Maui. Photo: Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)

• Old Lāhainā — check-in 5:15 p.m. October through February, 5:45 p.m. March through May and September, 6:15 p.m. June through August, running roughly three hours.
• Grand Wailea — check-in 5:30 p.m., seating 5:45, show 6:15, and a summer evening running to 8:30.
• Feast at Mōkapu — confirm your start time when you book; it is not published on the ticket page.

Table service is easier than carrying buffet plates for three children, private tables reduce friction, and pre-show activities absorb the cocktail-hour wait that young children find hardest. If your children go to bed early, the luau closest to your hotel is worth more than the better show forty minutes away.

Book Early, and Read the Cancellation Terms

Two of the three want a booking well ahead, and the terms differ enough to matter.

• Grand Wailea — reservations required.
• Feast at Mōkapu — advance reservations recommended.
• Old Lāhainā — 24-hour cancellation by phone for parties of 14 or fewer, and a waitlist when dates sell out.

Holidays and school breaks are when all of this tightens. A luau is also a whole evening rather than a dinner, so it competes with the rest of the day — our How Many Days guide covers how many big evenings a trip can actually absorb.

What to Compare

Compare the things that change the evening, not the ones that photograph well.

• Setting and how much of it is oceanfront.
• How much of the programme is cultural rather than production.
• Food format — table service or buffet.
• Seating: communal or a private table.
• Total duration and how late the evening actually finishes.

These matter more than a small price gap. If two venues are close on everything else, pick the one you can walk or drive to in ten minutes.

Practical Tips

Book early over holidays and school breaks. Those are the dates that sell out first and the waitlist is no substitute for a seat.

Read the cancellation terms before you pay. They are not the same at the three venues and only one of them takes the call by phone.

Arrive 15 to 30 minutes before check-in at Old Lāhainā. On-site parking is free but limited, and the overflow lot is across the street.

Choose the luau closest to where you are sleeping if your children go to bed early. A three-hour evening plus a forty-minute drive is a different night entirely.

Confirm the price on the booking page for your own date. The figures here were checked on 13 September 2026 and they move seasonally.

How much does a Maui luau cost?

An adult seat runs from $283 to $363 at the two Wailea luaus. Feast at Mōkapu is $283 Classic and $363 Premium; the Lūʻau at Grand Wailea is $300 Standard and $360 Aliʻi Premium. Checked 13 September 2026.

What time does Old Lāhainā Lūʻau start?

Check-in is 5:15 p.m. October through February, 5:45 p.m. March through May and in September, and 6:15 p.m. June through August.

How long does a luau last?

Performances at Old Lāhainā run roughly three hours and vary by season. Grand Wailea's summer evening runs 5:30 to 8:30.

Are luaus kid-friendly?

Yes, but some are much easier with young children than others. Grand Wailea is free for toddlers 2 and under, and children are priced 3 to 12 at both Wailea luaus.

Which is most romantic?

Feast at Mōkapu, and Premium seating buys you a private table rather than a communal one.

Can I cancel a luau booking?

At Old Lāhainā, yes with at least 24 hours' notice by phone, for parties of 14 or fewer. Inside that, and no-shows, are non-refundable. Check the others individually.

Is there a kamaʻāina rate?

At Old Lāhainā yes, but it is not bookable online — residents have to phone.

Is a luau worth the money?

For first-time visitors who want a cultural evening and dinner in one experience, often yes. For a second visit it is a harder case at these prices.